The Tarwater's highs and lows of 2012

The last 12 months have been a roller coaster for the Tarwater family, filled with very high highs and the utmost low. From an engagement, to a gold medal, to a goodbye- it was a year this family will never forget.

Dwight Tarwater, the youngest of the siblings, prefers to remember the good moments, like when his sister got engaged.

The celebration then continued over the pond to London, when his brother Davis won a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics. Dwight, a senior basketball player at Cornell, comes from a very athletic family, but Davis' accomplishment set the bar at a whole new level.

However, the year took a tragic turn on December 29th, when his mom Mary died of a heart attack. The entire family will tell you that Mary was the backbone of the family, and her kids' biggest cheerleader.

Just a few weeks after his mom's funeral, Dwight had to leave for school again. He left behind his sister, brother and dad in Knoxville. While it was tough to leave home, Dwight said he could not have gotten through it without his Cornell family.

This summer Dwight is staying in Knoxville and practicing with the Rocky top League. He says if this past year as taught him anything, it's that every moment with your family is a golden one.